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# Fact brief: Does SD require campaign signs to come down after elections?
- URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-campaign-signs-larry-rhoden-toby-doeden/
- Published: 2026-08-11T09:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-14T13:29:08.000Z
- Description: State law requires cities to allow campaign signs, which are not allowed on state highway rights-of-way.
- Author: Michael Klinski

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png)

**Corrected on Aug. 11, 2026:* An earlier version of this story misstated the breadth of state law.*

## Yes.

South Dakota law requires cities to allow campaign signs on private property before elections and they must be taken down within seven days after an election. However, there is no state law governing signs outside of cities, though they are not allowed on state highway rights-of-way. 

Specifically, the law allows signs in municipalities on "private property in a residential, business, commercial, or industrial zone adjacent to a transportation right-of-way by or with the permission of the property owner.

"For the purposes of this section, the term, campaign sign, means a free-standing object identifying and urging a person to vote for or against a particular ballot question or candidate for public office."

ℹ️

This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.facebook.com/DakotaNewsNow/posts/sddot-reminds-public-not-to-put-election-signs-on-state-highway-rights-of-way%EF%B8%8F/1364866639004666/).

### Sources

South Dakota State law,[ Display of campaign signs](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/9-30-3.1?ref=sdnewswatch.org)

Dakota News Now,[ SDDOT reminds public not to put election signs on state highway rights-of-way](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2026/04/23/sddot-reminds-public-not-put-election-signs-state-highway-rights-of-way/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)

South Dakota Department of Transportation,[ General guidelines for political and other temporary signs](https://dot.sd.gov/media/7ca80d6f/Sign%20Placement%20Guidelines.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org)

### About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the[ Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer[ on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org).

**South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.*